


Sirena

by Snapplelinz



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snapplelinz/pseuds/Snapplelinz
Summary: Viviane has always been drawn to the water. But after getting drunk and nearly drowning one night, she is rescued by the  beautiful and enigmatic Allina. This chance encounter draws Viviane further into the ocean's mysterious, supernatural depths. And with that, she begins to believe and embrace the impossible.
Relationships: Viviane/Allina





	Sirena

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! This is a fanfic that I wrote nearly 3 years ago for my muse, who I was dating at the time. After doing lots more research, I finally added some extra details and adapted this into an original story with original characters. I hope you all enjoy this little love story of mine :-)

Then you say: 'Swim to me. Swim to me, let me enfold you.'

~ Tim Buckley, 'Song of the Siren'

For most people, there are certain elements of the supernatural world that cannot possibly exist. Like vampires, werewolves, even witches. It is certainly no different when it comes to the mysterious case of mermaids. Half woman, half fish? Impossible. And yet, there are things in our Universe that cannot be explained away by Science and Logic. This was certainly the case when Lauren Viviane MacDonald (whom her friends called Viv for short) had her very first encounter with the realms of the supernatural and still lived to tell the tale.

It was a balmy, summer's night in Santa Monica near the Third Street Promenade and Viv was drunk off her head. She stumbled as if on stilts across the white sand of Santa Monica State Beach, a half-consumed bottle of vodka clutched possessively in her right hand. She'd been at a house party on the beachfront just 20 minutes before. She'd also left abruptly in the middle of a spirited game of beer pong when she'd caught her ex-girlfriend making out with her new bae right in front of her. They'd broken up months ago and Viv had moved on since then. So it really shouldn't have mattered who her ex was kissing now. And yet, the sight of the two women locking lips in a public place had caused Viv's insides to twist with unexpected agony and sudden loneliness.

So she'd quit the party and walked several metres towards the waterfront. The pier was eerily quiet in the absence of any person roaming the wooden platform save for Viv. She'd initially wanted to go for a night's swim like in days of old, but there were some lines that even Viv couldn't make herself cross, especially when she was inebriated. So she took to gazing at the starry night overhead and taking regular swigs from the bottle of vodka she'd swiped from the party. The water lolled and rolled in a lazy stupor against the wooden platform, which numbed Viv's senses even further.

She sighed and ran a hand through the silken strands of her mid-back, raven black hair. She gazed up at the full moon, that bright, elusive ball which emanated its own romantic mystery. "Oh, moon," Viv whispered, her vision slipping in and out of focus while she tried her best to concentrate. "My life is so boring. I need something...magical to happen."

A white cloud enveloped the moon and banished it completely. And with that came the soft plop of water shifting in close proximity to Viv. The drunken girl turned her attention towards the source of the noise and gave a start. There was something moving in the water. Viv placed her half-empty bottle of liquor at her feet and squinted in concentration. She caught sight of a large scaly tail glittering and rising above the dark surface of the water.

At first, Viv thought that fishy tail reminded her of a whale. And yet, it was unheard of for whales to be spotted so close to the shore at this particular beach. What could it be? Just when Viv thought her night couldn't get any stranger, the fish tail disappeared beneath the waves and the face and shoulders of a pale, slender woman emerged from the depths of the sea in its place.

"What the hell?"

In her abstraction, Viv moved forward and her foot got caught on a rotten wooden plank. Part of the platform gave way beneath her and she was soon falling through a massive hole in the pier into the cold, briny sea.

The water claimed her in an instant and dragged her down. If Viv had been sober, she could've kicked out her legs and swum back to the shore in a matter of minutes. But because of the alcohol flowing through her veins and her confusion over what she'd just seen, her feeble feet moved like heavy steel through the seaweed which shrouded her whole body. That green creature clawed at her clothes and mocha skin; it refused to let her go as the salt, briny water engulfed her lungs and dragged her further down.

Viv had swum so often in the ocean over time that she'd forgotten the elusive dangers of that swift, blue tyrant. But as the water entered every orifice of her body and the faint glimmer of the woeful moon above was the only thing she could now see, Viv realised with overwhelming terror that she was about to die.

Her body went limp and her hazel-green eyes closed as she moved swiftly down to the depths to meet her Maker...

...

...

...

...

The water shook and tiny fish in the near vicinity scattered in fright as a figure dove and swam towards Viv's descending body. Two strong, sinewy arms wrapped around the young woman's limp figure and pulled her up again. The seaweed fell away in ribbons from Viv's feet and it wasn't long before her head broke through the surface of the water. Her savior moved like silk through the seawater, dipping and diving through the waves.

Viv's body fell with a soft thud onto the wet sand and pale hands moved over her chest to dislodge water that had made a home in her lungs. With one final push, Viv was roused from unconsciousness with raspy breaths rattling through her chest. Every cough exiting her body scratched painfully at her scarred throat, but she was miraculously alive.

As Viv's eyes opened and adjusted to the darkness, she took in the sight of a figure standing directly above her. She gave a start when she realized that it was a young woman and she was stark naked. Viv was struck by the woman's hair, a shimmering, coppery curtain which hung just below her shoulders. She stared down at Viv with an unfathomable expression on her face, which looked as if it had been carved out of marble. Her eyes were an enigmatic, bluish-grey, like that of the ocean beyond them. Viv couldn't take her eyes off of this strange creature who had just saved her life.

"Who...what?" Viv stammered nonsensically, struggling to focus on the woman in front of her. Her eyes closed and she lapsed into unconsciousness once more.

When she awoke later, the sun had risen and her best friend, Wendy Jung, was kneeling over her and shaking her shoulders. "Viv, are you ok?! Oh my God, what were you thinking swimming in the sea when you were drunk?! Have you completely lost your mind?!"

Another man knelt in the sand next to Wendy and checked Viv's pulse on her left hand which had a white birthmark on it shaped like a star. He was dressed in swimming trunks and wore some kind of sash around his bare chest. Viv's befuddled mind asserted that he must be a life guard.

"Ma'am, how many fingers am I holding up?" the man asked in a brisk tone.

"My body may be waterlogged, but I'm not an idiot. You're holding up four fingers." Viv tried to sit up.

"You are an idiot, Lauren Viviane MacDonald. You could've been brain dead!" Wendy's fingers traced impatient lines over her friend's face to check for any signs of damage.

"I'm fine, Wendy, stop fussing," Viv chided, her chest feeling like it had been punched and beaten into a pulp. "I accidentally fell in, but it was alright because someone-"

Viv stopped short and Wendy and the lifeguard waited patiently for her to continue. But try as she might, she couldn't remember what she was about to say. Flashes of greyish-blue eyes swam through her memory, the only thing which attached itself to her cognitive processes. The rest of her recollection was a miserable, blurry spot of vagueness inside her head.

"Someone? Who?" Wendy pressed when it looked like Viv wouldn't answer.

Viv clutched the side of her face, her head feeling dizzy. "I don't know," she finally whispered.

*********************

A few nights later, Viv tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The sound of the wind whistling outside shrieked like angry seagulls in her eardrums. Dull waves crashed like doldrums, creating their own mantra of monotony in the cold, listless night.

Viv finally had enough and got out of bed to use the toilet. When that was complete, she journeyed into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. Her home was a nondescript affair: a tiny bungalow packed like a sardine amongst many other wealthier holiday houses located on North of Wilshire. She and Wendy rented it together, having remained steadfast friends since they were in elementary school.

Lauren Viviane Macdonald had always loved the sea; it reminded her of days long gone when she and her parents would leave their suburban home on the weekends and picnic at the beach. She was an only child, the product of a dangerous and trying pregnancy which had made her parents dote on her even more as the years progressed. Even though they had given their only child a first name which meant 'wisdom', Viv's parents often lamented about her heedless pull towards the ocean. And yet, they never once tried to stop her when she first began her swimming lessons in that vast blue of mystery. They were immensely proud of the numerous trophies and medals Viv brought home from the swimming competitions she won at school.

Now she was all grown up and still drawn to the sea. Even more so now after she nearly drowned and struggled in vain to remember who had rescued her. It frustrated Viv, especially since she'd always prided herself on being able to remember the minutest details of life's many banalities.

Like the time when Wendy lost her white gold seahorse-shaped earring; Viv later recalled that her friend had been baking that afternoon and leaning too far over the mixing bowl filled with flour. She even remembered the first book ('The Little Mermaid') that her mother had given to her as a young child. So why couldn't she remember what had happened the other night?

Viv downed her water and set the glass down in the kitchen sink with a loud clink. Then she raced back to her bedroom and got dressed in the first items of clothes she could find. She tiptoed past Wendy's bedroom, being careful not to step on any of the squeaky wooden floorboards. Wendy had an early shift at the local gym in a few hours and Viv didn't want to disturb her peaceful sleep. She glanced over her shoulder with a weary sigh before shutting the front door behind her.

Viv found herself standing on Santa Monica State Beach a few minutes later, gazing wistfully beyond her. The black sea was illuminated in silvery streams by a full moon overhead. Viv still wasn't sure why she had come here; only that she needed answers to the questions filling her head. The wind had picked up even more, encircling her body in a grotesque caricature of a lover. Those cold arms rippled through the sleeves of her hoodie, pulling her enticingly closer to the water. Despite the loneliness of the setting, it was tranquil; fresh, briny air wafted into Viv's nostrils, temporarily clearing away the cobwebs from her mind.

She squatted on her haunches and scooped up a handful of wet sand, letting the mushy grains dance over her fingers. As it had for days on end, her mind drifted back to blue-grey eyes; those enigmatic orbs haunted her every thought and shrieking nightmare, a pesky starfish stuck to her senses. Viv let the wet sand drop back onto the ground and stood up, wiping her dirty hands on her jeans. As she rose to her full height, she jumped back in fright when she realised she wasn't alone.

A tall figure stood before her, conjured up as if out of thin air. Upon closer scrutiny, Viv realised that it was a woman. A young woman with an athletic yet curvaceous build; pale, alabaster skin tinged with light-brown freckles all over; shoulder-length hair of a vivacious, coppery colour. And grayish-blue eyes.

Based on how much of her skin was visible, Viv surmised that the woman was naked. Viv's heart jumped in her chest as the woman gazed at her, seemingly in no hurry to break the impregnable silence surrounding them.

Finally, Viv couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward and the woman retreated at the same pace. Viv's cheeks flushed crimson, realising too late that her actions might be construed as threatening. She lifted her palms, making them flat and open in a gesture of supplication.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Please...I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to know something: did you save me from drowning five nights ago?"

The woman stared at her and Viv feared that nothing would come of her question. Then out of nowhere, the mysterious woman gave an imperceptible nod. Just when Viv heaved a sigh of relief and smiled encouragingly, the woman turned away.

"Wait!" Viv called just as the woman waded into the shallow waves. "What is your name?"

The woman tilted her head to the side, surveying the human girl as if she was weighing her options. Then she emitted what sounded like a weary sigh before her lips moved.

"My name is Allina."

"Allina." Viv's mouth curled while sounding out the name. "I'm Viviane, nice to meet―"

Allina didn't wait to hear the end of her sentence. Viv gaped in astonishment as the mysterious woman turned away and dove through the waves. Her upper body rose in perfect imitation of a dolphin spiral, making Viv's eyes bug out of their sockets. The woman's legs had disappeared and was replaced instead with a tail and a scaly lower body like that of a large fish.

Half woman.

Half fish.

A mermaid.

Impossible.

Viv whispered 'impossible' to herself as she watched the woman named Allina disappear beneath the waves and vanish completely.

**********************

Like before, Viv would've forgotten all about that strange encounter if she hadn't been walking on the beach after hours yet again. It had become a habit of hers in recent times to stroll around there late at night, to Wendy's intense horror. Viv had never been afraid of the sea. It was an elusive bond which grew in its fascination and intensity over time.

If there was any reason to fear the magnificent ocean, particularly in light of recent events, Viv couldn't remember. All that remained were faint images of blue-grey eyes and a large fish tail which entered her mind at the strangest hours. Wendy was too distracted with work and saving up to travel abroad to take Viv's recent abstraction too much to heart.

Life went on as per usual for Viv. She waited tables at the seafood restaurant close to her home and jogged on the beach every morning. And on nights like this, she reclined on a smooth boulder near the rock pools, listening to her iPod for hours. Tonight, the moon was full, but an opaque silver with a washed-out glow. Viv didn't notice; her only concern was to shut out the world and drift off into her own pensive thoughts.

Just when she selected a song on Spotify, she heard a strange, muffled sound. Viv frowned and took off her earbuds, depositing her iPod into her shorts pocket. She got up from the boulder and stepped cautiously through the rock pool with her bare feet. Streams of gurgling seawater tickled her ankles, making them cold and tingly. The sound she'd initially heard grew louder as she stepped out of the water and climbed over sprawling sand dunes. Viv realised the sounds were whimpers coming from somewhere close by. It sounded like an animal that was in trouble.

It was darker on this part of the beach, the palm trees throwing patches of ominous black shade onto the sand. For the first time ever, Viviane was afraid of the beach and everything beyond it. The sounds grew closer and were only outmatched by the pounding of Viv's heart as she struggled to keep her breathing even. The moon twinkled with renewed vitality and a beam fell over a figure sprawled in the sand. Viv gasped when she saw thin black ropes intricately woven around the figure, cutting painfully deep into a pair of pale legs.

"No!"

With sudden clarity, Viv recalled a young woman with the lower body of a fish who rescued her when she nearly drowned two weeks ago. The memory returned effortlessly to her as if it had never abandoned her before.

"Allina!"

Viv knelt beside the young woman and examined her. Allina was conscious and struggling against a fish net she'd unwittingly gotten trapped in. Her blue-grey eyes were dilated and infused with anxiety. Her whole body was clammy and limp, like a fish that had been out of water for too long.

"Oh my God."

Viv searched haphazardly for any kind of blade in her pockets. But all she had was a pack of hardened chewing gum and some stray lint. She got on her hands and knees, searching for anything sharp to use. She soon found a jagged rock shard that had washed up onto the shore. She grabbed it and hacked away at the fishnet which kept Allina bound. Several tense minutes ensued and Viv soon had Allina freed. But even with her liberty, Allina still couldn't move. Her human legs wobbled, sending her sprawling onto her knees. Allina wheezed pitiably, hitting her chest with her hand as she gasped for air.

Viv knelt beside Allina and patted her back. Her gaze was rife with worry. "What's wrong with you?"

"Too weak. Need...water."

Viv stared out at the ocean and understood. She was about to help Allina onto her feet, but hesitated. "Your legs – will they change back into a fish tail when you go in again?" Allina nodded rapidly and coughed.

"Can you swim back to where you came from?" Allina nodded, but with less conviction, which concerned Viv. "You won't make it on your own in this state."

"I'll be fine," Allina gasped out stubbornly.

Viviane groaned in exasperation. "Ally, you can't." The affectionate term left her lips spontaneously before she could ponder further on it.

Allina's eyes blazed electric blue. "I don't have a choice!" Her gaze softened when she saw how despondent Viviane looked for her sake. "I can't stay here."

Viv racked her brain for a way to help Allina without abandoning her. Luckily, a solution was forthcoming. "Wendy, my friend, works at a gym near here. It has a swimming pool-"

"Regular water won't help me!" Allina snapped.

"It has sea water in it. Prospective divers use it to help them acclimate before they go into the ocean." Viv explained patiently.

Allina fixed the human girl with a look of deep uncertainty and distrust. But the longer she stared, the more sincerity she saw in those hazel-green eyes. They spoke volumes about a woman who had never hurt so much as stepped on a snail or pointed a magnifying glass at ants under the hot rays of the sun. In that millisecond, Allina trusted that Viviane wouldn't hurt her.

"Fine."

Viv smiled encouragingly and took out her cellphone. "We're going to need a little help."

************************

Wendy came sprinting onto the beach nearly 10 minutes later, carrying a bundle in her arms. She had dressed in a rush, having slipped on a pair of black yoga pants, a ratty blue hoodie with Bart Simpson's face on it that said 'Eat my dust, not my shorts' and her favourite pair of lime-green Sketchers. Her short, coral green hair was hastily tied into a small ponytail that stuck out on the sides from too much static electricity in the air.

Wendy Jung was a short woman with a fiery personality; her face was round and child-like, which often made people think she was younger than she was, which was 22. Her slanted brown eyes which she'd inherited from her Korean ancestry were reduced to mere slits from sheer annoyance due to Viv's unexpected phone call.

"Jesus, Viv, what was so damn urgent that you couldn't tell me all the details over the phone? And why did I need to bring extra clothes?" Wendy stopped short in her tracks and fixed her eyes on a strange sight. Her best friend was kneeling beside a young woman she didn't recognize. And the stranger was naked too. Wendy blushed profusely and averted her gaze, a million questions flooding her head at that precise moment. "Viv, what's going on? Who is this?"

"This is...my friend, Allina. She's uh...sick. I need you to help me take her to your gym."

"Allina? But I know all of your friends! And why does she need to go to the gym if she's sick? Shouldn't she go to a hospital?" Wendy asked quizzically.

"It's complicated, Wendy. She has a rare condition and needs to immerse herself in salt water."

"There's plenty of salt water out here!"

"I can't leave her outside, she's too weak." Viv said firmly. "I know I'm not making any sense, but I need you to trust me just this once and not ask any questions."

"Fine, but I want an explanation later."

Viv frowned impatiently when Wendy continued standing several paces away without looking at either her or Allina. "For God's sake, would you come over here and help me?!"

"I'm uncomfortable around naked people, Viviane! Or have you already forgotten 'The P.E Locker Room Incident of '2012'?"

"Stop being such a wuss and get over here!"

Wendy threw Viv a withering look and knelt down on the sand too. "I brought an old tracksuit of yours."

"Thank you."

"How did your friend end up naked anyway?"

Viv palmed her forehead and rolled her eyes. "Like me, Ally likes skinny dipping at night sometimes. You work the top, I'll do the bottom." Allina stared in confusion at the two humans bickering loudly while helping her put on some clothes. There was still so much about human nature which she didn't understand. "Help me pick her up," Viv had successfully pulled the tracksuit pants over Allina's waist.

"Are you serious???"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Why can't your friend walk on her own?"

Viviane plastered a saccharine smile on her face. "Because it's so much more fun when people carry you around 'bridal style' for no reason whatsoever ― What do you fucking think, Wendy? She can't walk at all right now!" she snapped irately a second later.

Wendy sniffed indignantly and grabbed Allina's arms. "There's no need to take that tone with me, Lauren."

Viv sighed, knowing she was pushing the limit on Wendy's patience. Her best friend only called her by her first name when she was pissed off.

"Enough with the lecture on etiquette. Just help me please!" Anyone could spot the three of them on the beach in this awkward position any second.

Wendy groaned dramatically. Then she and Viv picked Allina up and coordinated their steps bit by bit. "You owe me so big for this."

It took some doing, but they made it to the gym without being spotted by anyone in the neighbouring houses. By the time they got inside, both Wendy and Viv were sweaty and exhausted from carrying Allina to the indoor swimming pool.

With some manoeuvring, Wendy managed to switch on the lights. A multitude of fluorescent beams illuminated the vast room, bringing the massive swimming pool into sharp relief.

"Switch on the pump to get the sea salt moving through the water." Viv instructed. Wendy helped Viv set Allina down onto the cold tiled floor and jogged to the circuit board at the far end of the room. Viv knelt beside Allina and touched her clammy forehead. "Hang in there, Ally, you'll be fine soon," she whispered reassuringly.

Wendy came sprinting back just as the pool pump roared to life in the distance. The water rolled in a lackadaisical motion just like miniature waves.

"Help me take off her clothes."

"What?! Why does this rando have to get naked again?!" Wendy screeched in horror.

"Just shut up and do it!"

Wendy cursed loudly and acquiesced. She averted her eyes when Allina was nude and Viv helped her lie on her side. "What are you doing now?" Wendy asked wearily.

"She needs to go into the water." Viv muttered. "Ally, I'm going to roll you into the water now. I'll be right here if anything goes wrong."

Viv said a silent prayer and pushed Allina's body with all her might. Finally, Allina moved and toppled into the pool. She disappeared beneath the water's surface and it was difficult to pinpoint her location for several tense seconds. Both Viv and Wendy knelt over the pool and held onto the edges to see where Allina had gone.

Wendy shook her head and got up again. She stood with her hands on her hips facing away from the pool, glaring at her best friend. "Viv, what the hell is going on here?!"

A massive wall of water rose and crashed violently behind Wendy. Both she and Viv stared in consternation at Allina suspended in the air, an emerald green fish tail flapping wildly beneath her before she dove gracefully back into the pool.

Wendy staggered backwards and pointed wildly at the pool. "W-w-what the hell was that? Did you see that?!" She rounded on Viv, who was just as shell-shocked by Allina's astonishing transformation.

Wendy's heart pounded erratically in her chest as she tried to understand what was happening. "Your friend...she...a fish tail...human body...M-m-m-mer, mer―"

Her eyes rolled into her skull and she fainted. Luckily, Viv caught Wendy right before she hit the ground. She held onto her friend's head gazing in amazement at Allina swimming happily around the length of the swimming pool.

"You were right, Viviane. This water's fine! Can you see how well I'm swimming?" Allina beamed widely at her progress.

Viv smiled weakly at the mermaid before turning her attention back at her friend, who was still unconscious. This was turning into one strange night...

***********************

Fortunately, Wendy came to a few minutes later. Both she and Viv took turns keeping an eye on Allina swimming in the pool. From this vantage point, Viv could see a shade of rouge coming back into Allina's pale skin, a very different picture from the pitiable figure she'd been hours ago. She dove majestically in and out of the water at every turn, looking like she could go on for an eternity.

Viv wasn't sure when she finally dozed off from sheer exhaustion. But she woke up close to 4am, rubbing her smarting neck. She'd been lying on a wooden bench a few paces away from the swimming pool. The last thing she remembered was dangling her mocha legs over the pool's edge in the water and watching Allina do the mermaid equivalent of swimming laps.

Even more astounding than this was that a rolled-up towel had been placed exactly where her head had been resting before. She looked around wildly, not seeing either Allina or Wendy anywhere in sight now. Where had they gone? Just when she was about get hysterical, Allina appeared from the shadows and walked towards her.

On her human legs. And even more disturbing than this was that she was still in fact naked.

"Ally! You're ok!" Viv got to her feet rapidly. She cleared her throat awkwardly and averted her eyes from Allina's bare alabaster skin, which glowed with unnatural perfection.

The enigmatic mermaid looked as nonchalant as ever. "Of course I'm alright. Salt water is good for me, it keeps me healthy and strong."

"Then what happened last night? Why were you so weak?" Overwhelming curiosity overrode Viv's nerve-endings.

Allina sighed and interlaced her pale fingers. "I was careless. I have a bad habit of wandering on the beach when I'm not supposed to. Mermaids get their strength from the moon, especially when it is full. But last night's moon was not strong enough to sustain me and I stayed out of the water for too long. I stumbled on my human legs and got trapped in that fish net you found me in. if you hadn't come when you did, I don't know what would've happened. Thank you."

Viv ducked her head, embarrassment and elation coursing through her bones. "You're welcome. I couldn't just leave you like that."

"You are very kind, Viviane. Humans often aren't."

"Have you met many humans before?"

"Enough to make me keep my distance."

That statement stung more than Viv cared to admit, but she rallied nonetheless. "I never got a chance to thank you for saving my life. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't come to my rescue either."

Unlike Viv's response to being paid a compliment, Allina tilted her head in confusion at the human girl's words. "It was natural to save you. There's still too much life in you for it to be wasted out there." She gestured towards the ocean.

Viv noted that Allina had a strangely formal way of phrasing things. And yet, she'd never felt more comfortable in anyone else's presence like she did with the mermaid, and that included the company of her best friend too. "Then I should be more careful when I go swimming."

Allina stared in the direction of the ocean. "I've been gone too long, I should get back."

"Right!" Viv exclaimed. "I guess 'home' for you is in the water. But...you can't leave here without putting on something." She elaborated when Allina looked confused. "Clothes."

"Those are the things that humans wear to cover their nakedness?" Allina guessed.

"Yes. Gotta cover up them privates so they stay, well...private." Her cheeks blazed pink when Allina frowned quizzically at her words. "Anyway, you can use the clothes my friend Wendy brought you last night."

Allina waved her hands in protest, looked just awkward as Viv felt. "I really shouldn't. They will get ruined."

"Then maybe just...take this towel?" Viv held up her makeshift pillow and tried hard not to look at the mermaid's exquisite form. As a rule, Viv didn't like labels when it came to her sexual orientation. All she knew was that she'd been attracted to girls ever since she was a teenager and first saw Blake Lively in a one-piece swimsuit in Gossip Girl. She'd been disoriented when she first laid eyes on Allina after she'd been rescued. And yet, she'd realised then and there that the mermaid was one of the most stunning creatures she'd ever laid eyes on. The supernatural being was unlike anyone or anything that Lauren Viviane Macdonald had ever encountered before. Allina terrified and intrigued her all at once.

"I cannot take your towel, Viviane. I put it down for you to rest your head on – what will you use instead?" Allina questioned innocently.

"Wait...you put the towel there?"

"Of course. You were tired after tending to me; I wanted to repay the favour by carrying you away from the water and letting you rest."

Viv remembered moments when her father used to carry her to bed as a young child and times when Wendy would cover her with a blanket after she fell asleep in front of the TV. But here was a stranger, a supernatural creature no less, caring for her in similar fashion to that of her loved ones. It was an overwhelming and perplexing kindness.

"Thank you, Allina. But I insist you take the towel. You can leave it on the sand when you go back in and I'll grab it later."

Allina relented. "Very well, I accept your offer."

Viv let the towel unravel and handed it to Allina. As the mermaid grasped at the soft fabric, their fingers brushed, sending a sharp voltage of pleasure-pain coursing over Viv's skin. The action was reminiscent of the time she got stung by a jelly-fish when she was 10 years old; but unlike that scorching pain, this sting was a persistent, inviting agony.

Allina arched her eyebrows while studying Viv's inexplicable expression. "There's something wrong with your face."

Viv's cheeks, which were hot from her close proximity to the enigmatic mermaid, now turned a delicate shade of pink. "What do you mean? This is how my face always looks."

"You seem ill at ease. Are you alright, Viviane?"

"Only my parents call me Viviane – just call me 'Viv', ok? We're friends now."

"Friends?" Now Allina was more confused than ever. It had been a long time since somebody had called her that. The sentiment was nice, albeit a perplexing one for mermaids who usually avoided contact with humans.

"Of course we're friends." Viv repeated the sentiment as naturally as breathing. "You've never been friends with a human before?"

This time, Allina's cheeks colored with chagrin. "Of course I've had human friends before. It's just that...it's been a while. I'm a little out of practice with typical human behaviour."

Two tiny dimples appeared on Viv's cheeks and she smiled in understanding. "What else do you know about humans?"

Allina scrunched her nose in concentration, which Viv thought was adorable. "Just a few things. Humans like swimming almost as much as mermaids. When you're not swimming, you journey in things called motorcars. You like being in groups. And you seem to like playing 'mouth to mouth' a lot."

Viv had been following Allina's train of thought until that last part. "Mouth to mouth? Like when someone's drowning?"

"Yes. But on these occasions, no one is drowning or in danger. Although there is some thrashing involved when their lips touch."

Viv finally understood what Allina was getting at. "Wait...you've never seen people 'kissing' before?"

"Does 'kissing' save lives?" Allina asked quizzically.

Viv couldn't take it anymore and laughed loudly. "Not exactly."

"Then why do people do it?"

Viv bit her bottom lip, thinking it over. "Well...some people kiss each other to show that they like each other."

Allina's angular face morphed into one of curiosity. "We like each other. Does that mean we have to kiss too?"

Viv's cheeks turned pink again, but she kept her composure somehow. "Well, you and I are friends, so it's a little different."

"How is it different?"

"Friends show they like each other with hugging. But when people are in love, they kiss each other as a sign of affection."

"Oh. Well, is kissing...pleasant?" Allina ventured.

Viv blushed again, but for a different reason this time. "Definitely. Um...how do mermaids show that they like each other?"

"Well, we don't kiss each other on the mouth." Allina affirmed. "But...we touch each other's chests with our hands."

"What, like copping a feel?"

"Cupping a seal?"

Viv's bottom lip trembled with the urge to start laughing again. "N-n-nevermind. Actually, human friends can kiss each other. But it's 'cheek-to-cheek', not on the mouth."

"Oh."

"Do you want me to show you? You'll know what to do when you make another human friend next time. Then you can show me your 'mermaid thing'."

Viv felt incredibly nervous and stupid all of a sudden. What was she doing?

"Ok," Allina agreed swiftly.

Viv goggled at the mermaid, who gazed innocently back at her. Maybe she was just overthinking things ― they were friends after all.

The black-haired girl stepped closer. Allina resisted the urge to retreat, even though she was suddenly afraid for an inexplicable reason. And yet, she knew deep down that Viviane wouldn't hurt her. Despite generations of animosity between their species, Allina trusted the human girl.

Viviane leant forward and brushed her lips softly over Allina's left cheek. The mermaid's skin was surprisingly supple and tasted like saltwater.

It was over just as quickly as it started and when Viviane moved away again, Allina felt a sudden sense of loss.

"That felt...nice," the mermaid offered finally.

"Thanks. Your turn, Ally."

Viv's breath quickened in her chest when Allina gazed intently at her. "Mermaids have powers. So when we touch each other, there's a kind of...spark which travels through our bodies."

"Like electricity?" Viv ventured.

The red-headed mermaid nodded. "Exactly. When mermaids like or love each other a lot, the spark is very strong. So if you feel something when I touch you, please don't be alarmed."

"Right, no big deal. Just your run-of-the-mill mermaid magic." Viv muttered nervously.

"I won't touch you the way lovers do. I'm only going to touch your hand, like a friend. Don't be afraid, Lauren Viviane."

The mermaid lifted her right hand. Her eyes glowed a terrifying shade of lightning blue, which made Viv wish she had a harpoon at the ready. But the human girl's fear morphed into wonder when the mermaid clasped her mocha-colored hand, interlacing their fingers together.

Viv expected to feel a simple spark. Instead, a sharp voltage of pleasure shot down her spine and through her nerve endings. Her body was cold and hot at the same time, making her feel weightless.

Before she could fully surrender herself to the overwhelming sensation, Allina released her with reluctance.

"Whoa! You could charge a phone with your hand!"

Allina's eyes were back to their normal shade of bluish-grey. "Thank you. I don't know what a phone is."

"Son of a bitch, why are you always naked when I'm around?" Viv stepped back from Allina. She glanced sheepishly at Wendy who was glowering at her mermaid friend.

"Nakedness isn't wrong." Allina said with simplicity.

"Tell that to my scarred eyeballs." Wendy retorted.

"Wendy, where have you been? I was so worried," Viv stated.

Wendy stared cynically at the two women, who were looking at everything but each other. She'd clearly walked in on the two of them having a 'moment'. "Yes, I could tell. Relax, I just went home to change into my work clothes. My shift starts in an hour and your mermaid needs to swim a lap in her own pool before someone sees her." Viv was surprised that Wendy was already coming to terms with watching Allina turn into a mermaid a few hours ago, albeit in an obnoxious and sarcastic manner.

"Right. I'll go with Ally and make sure the beach is clear."

"Wendy." Allina addressed the shorter human, her face so serious that it worried Viv. "Thank you for helping me last night. I hope to repay the favour one day soon."

"O-k." Wendy felt embarrassed and just a little pleased in spite of herself. "Send me a postcard the next time you're in the neighbourhood."

"I will," Allina answered right away, which startled both Wendy and Viv.

Viv felt sure that Allina didn't know what a postcard was.

*******************

As the weeks progressed and Viv spent more time with Allina, the more the black-haired woman remembered about her encounters with the mermaid. There were still some gaps in her memory, but she was too happy to notice. All the time she spent with Allina felt like an adventure. Viv often slipped out at night now to meet the mysterious mermaid. Whether it was swimming in the ocean or waiting for Allina to emerge from the water on her human legs and walk with her along the beach, they enjoyed each other's company immensely.

To Viv's intense embarrassment, Allina seemed to find her stories about her mundane life more fascinating than her own supernatural existence. Despite her youthful looks, Allina had been alive for at least five decades already; that was decidedly more years than Viviane's meager 23 years on the planet. Mermaids didn't understand the concept of 'birthdays' in human terms, so Allina wasn't certain what her exact age was.

Knowing that the mermaid was at least double her age made Viv feel uncomfortable. The mermaid had lived so much already and unearthed incredible mysteries deep within the vast ocean; these were miraculous feats that scientists would never discover in this lifetime or the next. And yet, Allina never once belittled Viviane for her lack of life experience. She took Viviane's multitude of queries about ocean life in her stride and showed the utmost patience throughout.

The mermaid told Viv that she wasn't the only one of her kind; there was a small group of them living in a secret dwelling underwater. Allina never said where her home was and Viv was wise enough not to ask. She knew how much Allina's clan meant to her and giving up their location to a human was the highest form of treason which all sea creatures acknowledged. If it meant she could stay in her life without any harm coming to her, Viv was content with keeping her new friend's secrets.

Viv came home from work one evening, her head in a happy daze. She found Wendy sitting at the living room table, still wearing her work clothes and poring over a calendar and an assortment of papers. After her long shifts at the gym, Wendy was usually too tired for anything but vegging out on the couch and watching reality shows.

"Wendy? What are you doing?" Viv was fairly certain that the shorter girl with coral green hair and long bangs that covered her eyes was allergic to reading in any and every form.

The shorter woman looked up at her best friend. Her dark brown eyes had purple rings under them from staring at the papers before her for several hours.

As a rule, Wendy loathed doing research of any kind. Whenever she and Viviane had partnered up for projects during their school days, Wendy had let (read: begged) her best friend do what she deemed as boring and unnecessary research on the topics while she honed her public speaking skills, which were exemplary in comparison to her introverted friend.

But after weeks of observing her best friend's abnormal behaviour, Wendy had no choice but to get the answers to questions she hadn't wanted to ask in the first place.

"Viv! Thank God you're home, we need to talk."

"Can it wait till later? I'm meeting Ally in a little while."

Wendy frowned deeply, making her eyes look more serious than usual. It was exactly as she had feared all along. "That's exactly why we need to talk now. Viv...I think you need to be careful about all the time you're spending with Ally."

Viv's happy mood deflated and her smile vanished. "Why would you say that?"

"Remember how you initially couldn't remember Ally, even after she saved your life and the time after that when you saw her on the beach?"

Viv chuckled at those recent memories. "Yeah. I guess my brain got soaked with too much seawater after all."

Wendy shook her head vehemently in response. "No, I don't think so, Viv. Allina's a mermaid ― her powers and strength come from the moon, right?"

"Right."

"I think something about Allina, her very existence maybe, is messing with your memory."

"What makes you think that?" Viv unwittingly took a seat beside Wendy at the table and staring at papers her friend had printed from various websites. "Wendy, what is all this?"

"I've been researching mermaids on the internet for days now: folklore, mythology, real accounts..."

"Why would you―"

"And I found this." Wendy pushed a piece of paper towards Viv.

Viv studied the contents silently. The more she read, the blacker her expression became. When she finished reading, she glared stonily at Wendy. "'Dee, what is all of this?"

Wendy drummed her fingertips ominously on top of the paper. "They're documented cases of sailors, divers and other regular people who nearly drowned at sea and miraculously survived somehow. But none of these people could say exactly how they were all rescued.

"A professional swimmer named Jennifer Brooke from San Diego couldn't explain why she ended up taking a swim late at night in the ocean three months ago; she routinely trained during the day in the indoor swimming pool at her gym before that incident. After Jennifer Brooke was rescued, she told the coast guard and police officers that she was somehow 'drawn to something which resembled a large fish.' Brooke claimed that whatever it was compelled her to swim to it."

Instead of being creeped out like Wendy hoped, Viv laughed outright. "Maybe Jennifer was compelled by her craving for tuna."

Wendy slammed her fist onto the table, which stopped Viviane's silly attempts at humor. "This isn't a joke, Viv! There are similar stories to Jennifer Brooke's, ones that make even less sense than hers. A man named Marco Aquino from Tivoli in Italy was found in a fugue state by life guards on a beach in Ostia a year ago. Ostia is a seaside community and nearly 40 miles away from Tivoli. Aquino has a phobia about the ocean and beaches in general, so why would he go there in the first place? All he could tell the police afterwards was that 'a beautiful Sirena told him to meet her in Ostia and promised him wonderful adventures if he came swimming with her."

"That doesn't prove anything, D. Maybe this Marco dude was just mad horny for this Serena chick―"

"Not 'Serena', Viv. He was talking about a 'sirena', the Italian word for 'siren'. Or...mermaid."

Viv chuckled again, but it was more forced this time as she tried to fight down her growing alarm. "I still think you're reaching, Wendy. Maybe Jennifer Brooke and Marco Aquino had nervous break-downs or histories of poor mental health before those incidents that the authorities didn't know about."

"Viviane, even the names of the victims all have something to do with water in one form or another! 'Brooke' comes from the word 'brok', which means 'small stream'. 'Aquino' was derived from the Latin word 'aqua', which means 'water'. I don't know if mermaids always lure people to them with water-related names, but the stories are too similar to be coincidences. Mermaids are also sirens; so many urban legends are about them luring innocent sailors to their secret coves. You've encountered a mermaid for the first time in your life and even your name is related to water in some form."

"That's crazy, Wendy! My name means 'honour' or 'wisdom'!" Viv snapped impatiently.

The shorter girl looked dismayed. "That's 'Lauren', your first name. I'm talking about your given name, 'Viviane'. You know what it means, right?"

"Not exactly, but my mom told she got the name from a story about King Arthur she loved reading as a child."

"Well it sure as shit wasn't the story about King Arthur and the round table! It's the one where King Arthur gets Excalibur from a fairy queen named Viviane ― who's also known as 'Nimue' or... 'The Lady of the Lake'."

Viv was a much better actress than even she thought. She forced herself to look disdained, even though her heart was palpitating in her chest. Now she remembered the stories her mother had told her as a child about Viviane, her name-sake: the nymph-like creature who rose from the waters beneath Avalon to give King Arthur the mighty sword Excalibur that would vanquish his enemies and set him on the path to his true destiny.

Viviane had always loved that story, until now. Not when it seemed like the only life she'd known was crumbling down all around her. "So that's your theory, 'Dee? That I'm somehow being 'lured away' like Jennifer Brooke and Marco Aquino were? Even if my name has something to do with water, I trust Ally. She wouldn't hurt me. Ever."

Wendy shook her head and Viv saw true remorse in her friend's eyes. "I don't think Ally did anything intentional. Don't you get it, Viv? It's like she said all along – mermaids generally don't interact with humans except in extreme cases. Like when she saved your life. Allina's never even shown you where she lives because she's afraid someone will harm her and her family. Maybe mermaids have the power to distort a human's memory: like a built-in defense mechanism that prevents humans who come into contact with them from seeking them out afterwards."

Viv thought over her friend's words for close to 20 seconds before something else occurred to her. "Even if that's true, then why can I remember Ally now after all those other times?"

"It's true, you do remember her better than the first time. But aren't there still gaps in your memory wherever Ally's concerned? You couldn't remember meeting her two weeks ago for a late night swim."

Viv scoffed complacently "I was really tired that night! Do you always remember every single boring detail of your life?"

"Of course not, but I don't care about that nearly as much as you obviously care about Ally. Surely you'd remember more about someone you care about, Viv."

Viv was angry, and it was confusing the hell out of her. She stood up, her hands trembling at her sides. "You're wrong about all of this, Wendy! I remember seeing Ally a few nights ago – what do you think of that?!"

This time, Wendy grinned at her friend's challenging demeanour. "Really? And what did you two crazy kids do together?"

"What we always do together, we-" Viv's cheeks, which had been hot with rage before, suddenly paled. Wendy grew concerned when her friend put a hand to her forehead as if she was in pain. "I...I can't remember. B-b-but that doesn't prove anything, Wendy! Ally and I probably just went swimming; that isn't creepy or dangerous!"

Wendy shook her head and pointed her finger at the calendar she'd been studying when Viv first came home. She'd marked certain days with red circles. "I made notes of all the times you've spent with Allina, including the night you nearly drowned. And they all fell on nights which had full moons. Allina's mystical powers, like the ability to change from a mermaid to a human, are at their strongest on those nights."

"It could just be a coincidence." Viv murmured, believing her own logic less and less.

"I don't think so, Viv. It all fits and I'm worried about your friendship with Ally. You're losing yourself." Wendy's eyes swam with unshed tears.

Viv started crying too, but her expression was resolute nonetheless. "That's not true, I've never felt more happy and complete till now. Allina is...amazing, Wendy. When I'm with her, everything in the universe feels right. So don't patronise me by saying I can't think for myself in this respect. No amount of magic in the world could make me feel something this strongly, something I've never felt for anyone else before."

It was the first time Viv was saying these things out loud. And Wendy saw the truth of it reflecting in her hazel-green eyes. "Oh my God. You're in love with her."

Viv gasped in amazement, the statement clearing up so many more cobwebs in her mind. She'd never felt more free and chained all at once by her own heart. "So what if I am? Don't tell me you found that in your 'research' too?" Viv sneered at her best friend, her heart pounding loudly in her own ears.

Wendy pulled her hair in exasperation. "Viv, you can't be in love with Allina. She's not even the same species as you!"

Viv laughed derisively at this and grabbed her house keys. "Thanks for giving me your blessing. Ally's probably wondering where I am, I have to go."

Despite her exhaustion and frustration, Wendy found enough energy to run after Viviane. She sidestepped her best friend and deliberately got in her way so she couldn't leave. "Viv, wait! What if you lose all your memories from getting too close to Allina? Please don't do this, I'm begging you."

Viv wanted to stay and comfort her friend because she was so obviously distressed. But her desire to see Allina more won out in the end. "I'm sorry, 'Dee."

With tears running down her cheeks, Wendy realised that her best friend was being sincere. But it was too little too late when Viviane got past her somehow and closed the front door, shutting her out completely.

**********************

Viv was out of breath after jogging the whole way to the beach. As she predicted, Allina was waiting for her in the sea, her copper hair dark and slicked back against her scalp. She smiled and waved animatedly at Viv, who grinned impishly back.

"I thought you weren't going to come!"

Viv's heart melted at the vulnerability in Allina's tone. How could she ever think of leaving her? Allina had become the very life blood in her veins. "Are you kidding? There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Allina smiled radiantly and Viv thought it was the loveliest thing she'd ever seen. "So what are we doing tonight?"

"Come into the water. I want to show you something." Allina's tone held an enigmatic allure.

Viv's pulse points thrummed erratically as she summed up the courage to strip in front of Allina. The mermaid had seen her naked before when they'd gone swimming together; but something about Wendy knowing about her romantic feelings for the mermaid now made this night all the more poignant and terrifying.

Allina's eyes followed the pattern of undress as it revealed more of Viv's mocha-coloured skin and her sensual curves. Even though she had already seen Viviane's naked form, Allina still traced a delicate line over the girl's body with her wandering eyes. Viviane was shorter than her and impossibly thin. And yet, her stomach, arms and legs were lined with hard muscles you only got when you swam almost as much as a mermaid. Viviane had typically broad shoulders and thighs like that of a professional swimmer. She had plaited several strands of her long black hair into intricate braids tied around her head in wreath-like fashion. Despite being African-American, Viviane had slanted eyes similar to Wendy's and a sharp, chiseled nose and arched cheekbones that bespoke of dormant Native American genes in her ancestry. And then there was those piercing hazel-green eyes of hers containing more hypnotic allure than the most powerful siren.

Even though there were technically male and female mermaids, their species had no particular preference when it came to choosing mates for carnal pleasures or amour. As for enticing human prey with their siren powers, mermaids often lured as many of them away as they could, and purely for their own twisted, deadly amusement.

With her unearthly good looks, Viviane would've been a target for any hot-blooded predator. With a guilty squirm, Allina realised that she might be the only predator for miles who could possibly harm the human girl. Under normal circumstances, Allina wouldn't have hesitated in fixing Viviane with her compelling gaze and persuaded her to join in the sea. With that said, the mermaid had never felt a stronger inkling to protect another human the way she did with Lauren Viviane Macdonald. Allina's insides boiled with want when Viv grinned devilishly at her and dove into the water. Viv soon stood beside Allina and together they stared at the full moon, the water coming up to their necks.

"Where are we going?" Viv asked with mild curiosity.

"It's a surprise. Do you trust me?" Allina was suddenly very nervous.

Viv turned to her and smiled, the ghost of Wendy's warning echoing through her mind. "Of course. You have saved my life before, remember?"

Allina grinned and took Viv's slender hand in her own. "Try to breathe as evenly as possible."

Before Viv could decipher what that meant, Allina yanked her downwards and they sped off through the depths of the sea. At first, the salt stung her corneas, making visibility a blurred, bewildering shapes. But soon, Viv's eyes adjusted and she marveled at the colourful schools of fish they swam in-between. In a flash, they were surrounded by translucent jellyfish, glowing pink and orange, sizzling with a current of intensity. They seemed to dance through seaweed groves and smooth rocks which littered the ocean floor. Viv gasped in muted horror at a shark zooming towards them, its sharp teeth bared and poised to attack. But Allina's firm hand gripped hers tightly and pulled her to safety behind a wall of coral; that same shark swam dumbly past their hiding spot several seconds later.

Viv had trained herself years ago to breathe underwater for long intervals; it had never benefited her more than when she was here with Allina, witnessing incredible sights with her human eyes and finite existence. Allina seemed to come alive in her presence, literally swimming circles around her and flashing teasing smiles which held the promise of enticing secrets. She was exquisite in her natural habitat.

And just when Viv thought she would pass out from sheer delight, Allina tugged her hand and pulled her back through the water. Viv's head broke the surface a minute later and she coughed and spluttered, gratefully inhaling oxygen into her lungs. Allina swam slowly around her, checking every inch of her for any signs of illness or damage.

"Are you alright?" the mermaid asked in concern.

"I..." Viv got lost in the unexpected warmth in Allina's blue-grey eyes. "This has been the best night of my life. Why did we come back so soon though?"

Allina smiled, albeit a sad one. "Your body isn't made for long voyages in the water. Besides, I only went down there tonight so I could give you this."

She handed Viv a smooth object. Viv turned it over and realised that it was an oyster. It was unlike any oyster she'd ever seen before; this one was as big as a dinner plate. "Thanks, but I already ate."

Allina chuckled at Viv's humour. "Let's go back to shore and open it properly."

Soon, Viv was out of the water again, the wet, mushy sand on the beach collecting between her toes. While she went back to her pile of clothes to find a handy Swiss knife, Allina joined her on human legs. Allina took the knife and oyster from Viv and began prying the black shell carefully apart. It finally opened like the shutters on an ornate music box; at first, all Viv could see was the soft, peach-coloured flesh inside. But after Allina hacked at it with precision, Viv gaped in awe at the tiny silver ball at the bottom.

"Is that...?"

Allina nodded, her face shining with excitement. "It's a pearl oyster, the largest kind in its species. We eat them, but I also like collecting the pearls for myself. They're like little moons, only smaller and prettier. They remind me of you." She said each word with a self-conscious stammer, casting her eyes downward.

Viv held the pearl between her two fingers, transfixed by the sight. "No one's ever given me so much as a diamond ring before. It's beautiful – thank you, Ally."

Allina looked up again and saw a burning, hungry look in Viv's hazel-green eyes. It made her both uneasy and strangely elated somehow. Viv gingerly put the pearl back inside the oyster before beginning a new topic of discussion.

"What does 'Allina' mean by the way? I've never asked you before."

Allina looked extremely self conscious. "It's nothing special, just a common name."

Viv chortled in response. "It's a pretty uncommon name for humans."

"Common for mermaids, then."

"What makes a mermaid's name so special?"

Allina tapped her chin thoughtfully for a few seconds. "Most of the time, our names are chosen to represent that we belong to the water. But in your human tongue, my name simply means 'noble' or 'bearer of light'.

The mermaid seemed strangely annoyed by this fact.

"Well, I think your name suits you well." Viv declared with sincerity. "Your parents must've had a good reason for choosing it."

"I wouldn't know, I never knew them. When I came into existence, they were already gone from this world."

Viv's eyes crinkled sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Ally. That must've been...difficult."

Allina's eyes, which had been misty with emotion before, cleared suddenly and she smiled lightly at her human friend. "It is alright, Viviane. I may not know exactly where I come from, but I still have my grandmother to pass on stories of my family. She once told me that my mother and father loved swimming to the surface and gazing at that silver pearl in the sky. Perhaps that is why I am called 'Allina': to show that I also belong to the moon. This is also important to mermaids."

"That makes sense."

"I am, however, very envious of your name, Viviane. It comes from the water; maybe that is why you love the ocean so much. If you weren't human and perhaps, in another life...you would've been a remarkable mermaid."

Under normal circumstances, Viviane should've been terrified that Allina knew what her name meant, especially after what Wendy had told her hours ago. If anything, her feelings for the mermaid grew all the more in that precious moment. Whatever Allina's true intentions were, Viv felt comforted that there was a true connection between them: something which went far beyond mere coincidence.

Viv's cheeks turned rose pink at the thought.

"Can I ask you something else, Ally?"

"Of course."

"Mermaids...besides being able to change into human form, can they do other things too? Like change a human's memories?"

Allina's heart skipped a beat. How could Viv possibly know? "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because lately...I can't seem to remember little things and big things too. Things mostly to do with you and...it scares me."

Allina's apprehension disappeared when she saw how unhappy Viv looked. "I'm sorry, I should've told you sooner. Memory loss is a by-product of a human's encounter with a mermaid. We use it to protect our secrets so that humans cannot hunt us."

"I understand why it might happen with other humans. But why me? I would never do anything to hurt you." Viv said with the utmost sincerity.

Allina's heart leapt with joy at this, but she remained stoic while trying to explain the situation. "I know that, and I trust you completely. But ancient mermaid magic doesn't differentiate between good humans and bad ones. Don't be afraid, the memory loss isn't harmful to you."

Viv looked hopeful at this. "But it's only temporary, right? I won't keep forgetting things about you, will I?"

Allina looked away, her heart growing weary. "I'm sorry, Viviane. The memory loss will continue until you forget me completely. It happened once with another human friend of mine named Kai. He was a surfer that I rescued during a bad storm years ago. We used to swim together all the time till one day when he didn't come into the water at all. He just stood on the shore and looked at me with blank eyes; that's when I knew that what my grandmother had told me about friendships with humans was true: they're only meant to be temporary. But with you...I hoped that things would be...different."

Viv's shoulders shook with anguish as she cried her heart out. "I don't want to ever forget you, Allina. I've never met someone like you before. Isn't there a way for my memories to stay with me?"

Even while Allina shook her head, she remembered something else her grandmother had once told her. However, she'd never known whether there was any truth to it. "It hasn't happened in centuries. But there is one way..."

Allina had told her as best as she could without making her own troubled feelings known just yet. But Viv was maniacal in her eagerness. "But this is amazing, Ally! There's a way for us to stay together!"

Allina still looked disheartened. "You don't know what you're saying, Viviane. It could be dangerous. It might not even work."

"I don't care, I want to try. Ally, I have to be with you because...I love you."

Allina was stunned into silence at Viv's words. She didn't dare believe it; and yet, her apprehension died and she felt buoyant with happiness and her own mutual feelings of ardor. "Viviane, I love you too."

That was all it took for Viv to wrap her arms around Allina and meld their lips together. Even though Allina was uncertain of what to do at first, Viv guided her with the sweet patience of her desire, peppering her mouth with scalding kisses that made Allina dizzy with anguished desire.

She never knew that something so intoxicating as kissing had ever existed till this moment. She couldn't have imagined how right it would feel to have this beautiful human girl in her arms until now; her senses were drowning, dragging her down slowly till both her artificial legs and her real tail felt like they were separating from her body. Viviane was a skilled kisser and taught Allina that secret art form till the mermaid trembled and moaned incomprehensible syllables of delight into the night air.

Allina pulled away so abruptly after a while that Viviane feared she'd done something wrong. But the look in the mermaid's blue-grey reassured her a moment later. Her gaze was filled with nothing but love, which set the human girl's senses on fire.

Allina breathed heavily, her whole body trembling with anticipation. "Viviane...I want to show you how mermaids touch each other when they're in love. Do you trust me?"

Viviane was nervous, but she steadied her emotions. "Ally, I trust you with my life."

The raven-haired woman sucked in a breath when the mermaid raised her pale hand. It moved through the air and made contact with her naked chest. From this vantage point, she could feel Viviane's heart pounding against her rib cage.

Viv was too afraid to move in case it broke the spell. Her breath came out in soft gasps when Allina's fingers trailed painstakingly over her skin. The spark had returned, far stronger than anything the human girl had ever felt before in her life.

This was more far more intense than when Allina had only touched her with their hands clasped together by the swimming pool. Electricity swam through Viv's skin, threatening to bring her to her knees.

"Viv...are you alright?"

Viviane was struck anew by the blue of Allina's eyes. The colour was as vivid as the electricity her magical fingers had channeled through her. Even more startling than this was Allina finally calling her by her given name in the heat of the moment.

"Kiss me again, Allina."

The mermaid didn't need any further encouragement. She cupped Viv's cheeks with her hands, sending more sensual sensations coursing through their skin as their lips met in a feverish sonata over and over again. Viv closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around Allina's neck, reveling in their desire igniting and scorching across their wet skin.

Viv's body burned wherever it came into contact with Allina's skin, like ice sticking to her pores and imprinting its way into her thoughts with scalding clarity. The moon enveloped their trembling bodies and followed their descent as they sank deeper into the sand.

Viv took the lead as she laid Allina down and hovered above her, kissing every inch of the mermaid, the taste of coarse salt spreading over her tongue. Her stomach rippled with pleasure when Allina wrapped her hands around her back, pressing their chests together. The mermaid fixed her grayish-blue eyes on her lady love, reaching forward with her lips and her heart. Her fingers traced over the subtle ridges of Viv's shoulders, sending undercurrents of ecstasy flowing through the human girl's whole body.

It was like she was swimming, only sweeter and far more dangerous. Because she was travelling into the unknown now and had no way of knowing which way the tide would eventually turn. But Viv didn't care as she gave herself completely over to that perplexing siren of destiny.

Mermaid and human were ying and yang now: pale shadows intermingled in a seamless lover's embrace. Their bodies slotted perfectly together and with hands interlocked, the ordinary and the supernatural collided and merged into one.

**********************

Viv came home close to dawn with a spring in her step. Wendy was waiting for her at the front door; she tapped her foot impatiently, anger dancing in her dark brown eyes.

"I was worried sick, Viv! I called the police, but they can only do something when a person's been missing for more than 24 hours. Where the hell have you been all night long?!"

"I was at the beach," Viv's head spun with a mesh of happiness and desire.

"Doing what???"

"I was with Allina. Wendy, I know you're worried about how close we are, but we had an amazing night together. We went diving, I saw the most incredible sea creatures down there. Allina brought me an oyster with a real pearl in it from the ocean floor and she told me...she told me she loves me, Allina loves me back. I feel so wonderful right now; 'Dee, I finally have someone special that I want to spend the rest of my earthly life with. I'm in love with Allina...a mermaid."

The minute she said her love's name and what she was, a curious change came over Viv and Wendy. She went from being ecstatic and in love to something completely different. Her gaze changed and with it, her beautiful memories, tore at the seams and slipped from her grasp entirely. Wendy too stopped being angry quite abruptly and became placidly curious about where Viv had been all night long.

"I'm sorry..." Wendy felt puzzled by her own demeanour. "Where did you say you went again, Viv?"

"I was at the beach all night...by myself." Viv believed what she was saying, but felt strangely unhappy with her answer.

"Oh, that's a relief. But you should be careful going there so often by yourself." Wendy turned away to turn on the kettle in the kitchen.

"Sure, I'll remember next time." Viv's head buzzed with nothingness. It felt soothing, but oh so lonely at the same time.

And just like that, both Viviane and Wendy forgot all about the mermaid named Allina. Life went on as per usual with bills to pay and the occasional fun in-between. Viv went on a few dates, but not with any real fervour. There was a terrible void in her chest, but she couldn't remember why. Viv still felt an indescribable pull towards the sea, so she snuck away at night as often as she could. But whatever she hoped to find wasn't there, and it left her with a gnawing feeling of dismay and heartache. She ignored these morbid sensations as best as she could and before she could blink, a whole year slid painfully by.

By some unforeseen coincidence, Wendy and Viv decided to have seafood for lunch. So they went to a restaurant near the boardwalk in Santa Monica. The table they chose was outside on the quay with an excellent view of the sapphire ocean. Both girls paid very little attention to their meals that afternoon, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Wendy stopped stabbing moodily at her rubbery calamari and looked across at her best friend.

"Viv?"

"Hmm?" Viv's eyes were trained on the waves lulling lazily in the distance.

"Do you ever feel like our lives are just going nowhere slowly? Like...something's missing?"

Viv met her friend's eyes and smiled sadly. "All the time."

"Maybe we're just...sick of this neighbourhood. Maybe it's time for a change." Wendy said with sudden determination.

"Maybe you're right," Viv agreed. She didn't want to leave; it still felt like something was tying her to this place, to the sea. But with frustrating agony, she couldn't remember just what. She'd long since given up trying to guess.

"Where do you think we should go?" Wendy mused dreamily.

"Hmm, not sure. Maybe somewhere with lots of trees-" Viv stopped short when a beam of light hit her directly in the eyes, blinding her momentarily.

"Viv, are you alright?" Wendy asked in concern.

Streams of orange and red hit Viviane's eyeballs like razor sharp knives. She opened her eyes with difficulty, holding her hand up to protect her face. "I'm alright, someone beamed a light in my face or something."

"Where did it come from?" Wendy stared wildly around their table.

"Over there." Viv pointed in the direction of the ocean.

The light was still there, dancing off the waves and growing brighter and brighter till it enveloped Viv in a burning halo of anticipation. She rose from her chair and walked slowly in the direction of the pier towards that scorching light.

"Viv, where are you going?" Wendy yelled.

Viv paid no attention to Wendy or anyone else in the restaurant staring at her. Her mind was deliciously blank as she followed the light to its origins: a glowing figure waiting in the water for her. At first, it was just a head with copper red hair slicked back against the scalp. But the closer Viv walked to the edge of the pier, the more she could see of the smooth, pale, freckled skin humming with vivacity and a pair of eyes which burned through her very soul.

They were the same blue-grey eyes Viv had dreamt about on many a night, not remembering who they'd belonged to for the longest time. She'd forgotten that those eyes had once sought out the vapid void in her chest and cauterised it with acceptance and the newness of first love. Then Lauren Viviane Macdonald remembered everything to do with her mermaid Allina:

Viv's shoulders shook with anguish as she cried her heart out. "I don't want to ever forget you, Allina. I've never met someone like you before. Isn't there a way for my memories to stay with me?"

Even while Allina shook her head, she remembered something else her grandmother had once told her. However, she'd never known whether there was any truth to it.

"It hasn't happened in centuries. But there is one way...' Allina squared her shoulders and continued. "My grandmother is a very powerful mermaid; she has the ability to heal sickness and...transform beings. It is not often that mermaids and humans fall in love, but in extreme cases where both parties don't wish to be separated, my grandmother once said that a spell could be done upon the human to change them into our kind. But it takes time and effort. In the meanwhile, the mermaid must leave his or her human mate and return to their clan. The human will forget the mermaid's existence temporarily, but when the mermaid comes back―"

"Yes?" Curiosity coursed through Viv's bones.

Allina looked her dead in the eye. "The mermaid will call to her one true love and she will come."

Allina had told her as best as she could without making her own troubled feelings known just yet. But Viv was maniacal in her eagerness. "But this is amazing, Ally! There's a way for us to stay together!"

"You don't know what you're saying, Viviane. It could be dangerous. It might not even work." Allina still looked disheartened.

"I don't care, I want to try. Allina, I have to be with you because...I love you."

Allina was stunned into silence at Viv's words. She didn't dare believe it; and yet, her apprehension died and she felt buoyant with happiness and her own mutual feelings of ardor. "Viviane, I love you too."

"Ally..." Viv's cheeks were stained with tears falling rapidly from her eyes as she stared out at the water.

Allina said nothing, but smiled enigmatically, sending a nostalgic thrill of pleasure down Viv's spine. Her feet teetered dangerously over the edge of the pier: that same wooden platform she crashed through late one night months ago when she was inebriated with alcohol and oppressive loneliness. Allina fixed Viv, her one true love, with an intoxicating stare many of her ancestors had used on unsuspecting sailors to lure them to their secret coves. But unlike those previous enchantments which only created a temporary enticement, Allina's gaze held the promise of feathered dreams and dazzling adventures still to come.

"Lauren Viviane Macdonald," The mermaid's voice was low and filled with serene devotion. "It is time, my love. Come to me." Viv felt a stab of panic and couldn't move. But Allina held her gaze, stretching her hands out towards her in a gesture of welcome. "I am waiting for you. Come to me, Viviane."

Wendy and the rest of the restaurant goers watched in astonishment as Viv jumped from the pier and into the water with her clothes on. "Viv!" Wendy stared in horror at her friend swimming with full strokes towards the strange woman in the sea. A thin veil had dropped metaphorically from her eyes and she finally realised who Allina was; and then she remembered all her old fears about mermaids and their captivating powers.

Viv swam with all her might through the waves, not looking back once. All she could see ahead of her was Allina and the beautiful expectation of finally being with her again. It was as if she had been swimming in the ocean for years to fulfill just one purpose: to be reunited with her supernatural love.

"Stay right there, Ally, I'm coming!" she cried happily, blinking salt out of her eyes. Her clothes and her raven black hair were soaking wet as she swam through the water.

As soon as she got close enough to Allina, her trembling hand reached forward. It moved with assurance and determination, tracing a fiery pattern over her lady love's bare chest. The action shot a bolt of electricity over the mermaid's skin, pulsing with electric blue through her veins.

Allina marveled at the fact that Viviane could infuse so much energy into her touches, as if she held a secret magic of her own. In her eyes, the human with the mermaid name was the most incredible being in the universe.

And she was all hers.

Allina's blue-grey eyes filled with tears of happiness when Viviane smiled lovingly at her and cupped her cheek with her hand. This was a new touch for both of them: a merging of both a human and mermaid's expressions of intimacy and devotion.

Allina now knew without a shadow of a doubt that Lauren Viviane, a human, was her one true love. The only way she could convey her feelings was to do it through the lens of a human. She wrapped her arms possessively around Viviane's back and kissed her with a fervor that was sure to make waves in the tranquil ocean. She had waited hundreds of days to finally have the black-haired beauty in her arms again. She'd be damned before she ever let her go again.

When they finally pulled apart, Allina caressed Viv's cheek, her eyes shining with elation. "Are you ready, my darling?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Viv said in a flash.

Allina nodded and moved her hand to the back of Viv's head, holding it in a tight grasp. Wendy screamed her lungs out when Allina disappeared beneath the waves, pulling Viv down with her.

"VIV!!!"

The water rippled like a squirming leaf for several tense seconds before it became ominously still again. In the midst of the commotion with restaurant goers shouting to call the police, Wendy knelt down at the pier's edge, weeping softly for her best friend's demise. And that was the last that anyone ever saw of the human girl named Lauren Viviane MacDonald.

*************************

Viviane's disappearance was officially classified as a 'shark attack' which had happened in broad daylight. This was because Detective Samuel Mallory, who was in charge of the police investigation, didn't believe that a host of people had actually seen a mermaid in the water. As the months slid by, most of those witnesses soon forgot what they had seen. But the memory stayed with Wendy Jung.

She wasn't exactly sure why; perhaps it was because her own connection to Allina had been strong enough to sustain her memories of the enigmatic mermaid. Or maybe Allina had used her powers to allow her to keep her memories. Either way, it ignited a desire in Wendy to find out as much as she could about what had happened to her best friend.

Even though Viviane couldn't be declared dead, the police investigation was officially closed and her parents still held a funeral six months after their daughter went missing. The casket was empty (Viv's body was never found) and the funeral was a small, somber affair consisting only of Viviane's relatives and a few select friends from Viviane's schooling days.

After the funeral, Wendy changed drastically. She stopped dying her hair coral green; it reverted to its original black and she let it grow long just like Viv's. She worked less shifts at the gym and focused all of her energy on solving Viv's mysterious disappearance. When she wasn't at the police station harassing Detective Mallory with new theories to assist him with his case, Wendy spent most of her nights reading books about mermaid lore and researching articles on the internet about what happened when a mermaid and a human fell in love.

The fire had gone out of Wendy Jung's system, leaving a soulless husk in its wake. She'd even stopped saving money to travel abroad like she planned. Wendy was adamant about continuing to live in Santa Monica and in the bungalow she and Viviane had once shared, despite her friends' protests and concerns.

Only one strong emotion remained for Wendy now. It was obsession.

While the police labeled her as a 'nuisance', Wendy's family told her emphatically over time that her best friend was most likely dead. Viviane's parents, while empathetic, also urged Wendy to stop looking for Viviane; as heartbroken as they were, they reasoned that their only child wouldn't have wanted her best friend to dwell on her untimely passing.

But Wendy couldn't let it go. Allina had taken her best friend away from her and she needed to know why.

When her foolish quest for answers finally ran their course, Wendy did something incredibly dangerous and insane. She purposely hired a speed boat with a driver and took it out into the marina late one afternoon as sunset approached. She had never been a strong swimmer, not like Viv. But she used that to her advantage when the driver was sufficiently distracted with steering the boat and deliberately flung herself overboard.

She heard the cries of the driver gurgling through her ears as she sank like a lead ball through the water. She moved her arms helplessly in a bid to swim, but it was no use. Perhaps she had already given up on some level when it came to living a life without her one true friend. Water soon engulfed Wendy's lungs and made a home in there; she closed her eyes and said one last prayer to her Creator.

A moment later, something knocked into her forcefully, bruising her side. Wendy opened her eyes wildly and saw a flash of colours dancing around her. Something or someone grabbed her waist and shot forward. Whatever held her was firm, but gentle. Their touch was both foreign and familiar to Wendy all at once as she struggled to see what was happening.

They soon broke through the water's surface with a crash. Wendy spluttered haphazardly for several seconds, her lungs dispelling the water which had held her captive. She had been deposited into shallow water just a few paces away from the shore. But it wasn't a shore she recognized; based on her minimal knowledge of Geography, Wendy guessed that she was somewhere on Catalina Island. Whoever brought her here had travelled 40 miles from Santa Monica ― and in a matter of minutes.

But why had she been brought here? And by whom?

Suddenly, she caught sight of a figure observing her from the water. Wendy blinked furiously as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. This couldn't possibly be real. From the waist up, it was a woman with raven black hair, mocha skin and a white birthmark on the inside of her left wrist shaped like a star. But her eyes were no longer hazel-brown tinged with green; they were pale jade with flecks of gold in them.

But that face, oh that face...

Wendy broke down instantly when she looked longingly at her best friend. "Viv..."

Viv stared back at her, tears streaming down her face that mingled instantly with the water encircling her. At first, her smile was morose, reflecting all of the misery and guilt she felt at leaving her best friend behind. But soon, it transformed into a smile which was quiet and serene, assuring Wendy that she was ok now.

Wendy gave a start when another figure swam up behind Viv, accompanied by two dolphins shrieking in delight as they skipped through the shallow waves. It was Allina, looking as beautiful and mysterious as ever. Wendy wanted to hate the mermaid for taking her best friend away from her. But when she saw those blue-grey eyes beseeching her silently as she laid a protective hand on Viv's bare shoulder, she saw so much love and tenderness in that one action. Wendy cried even more, but nodded at both Viv and Allina, telling them with her smile that she understood.

Allina leapt backwards and disappeared underwater, giving Viv and Wendy a chance to say goodbye, even if it was only a temporary farewell. Just like her own actions once upon a time, Allina shrewdly guessed that her lady love would do everything in her power to stay close to her best friend from now on.

Viviane was still very stubborn, even in her new form.

Viv looked at her best friend and smiled radiantly, her eyes dancing with untold mischief. Wendy's eyes bugged out when the raven-haired beauty leapt gracefully into the air and dove back down into the water.

The shorter woman couldn't help noticing that Viv no longer had human legs.

"Son of a bitch." For the first time in months, she chuckled in amusement, reveling in this strange twist of fate.

Viv had a scaly, jade-coloured lower body which matched her new eyes.

It was a mermaid's tail, just like Allina's.


End file.
